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Cao Zijian, Cao Zhi, the third son of Cao Cao, was an outstanding writer in ancient China. His poetry is full of talent, and he is known as a "fairy genius", as well as Li Bai and Su Shi. One of Cao Zijian's most famous poems is the seven-step poem.
Seven step poem
Boiled beans are held as soup and simmered as juice. Honey burns under the pot, and beans cry in the pot. We were born from the same root, so why should we speculate with each other!
This poem is about boiled beans, which means the tragedy of brothers killing each other. In the poem, the beanstalk (referring to Cao Zhi himself) is burned under the kettle, and the beans cry in the kettle. Through the dialogue between beans and beans, beans and beans, the poet expressed his sorrow for his brothers and his desire for peaceful coexistence.
The first sentence of the poem, "Boiled beans are held as soup", depicts the scene of cooking. Boil the beans and turn them into thick bean soup. The bean soup here symbolizes the beauty of life and the harmony between brothers. However, the next sentence took a turn.
"Douchi is juice". Douchi is a filtering method. After the beans are cooked, the bean dregs are filtered, leaving the bean juice. Here, soybean milk symbolizes the bad factors in life. The poem mentions that tofu is cooked under the kettle and beans are crying in the kettle, revealing the reality that the two brothers are frying each other.
"The glutinous rice is burned under the kettle, and the beans are crying in the kettle." These two poems show the contradiction and conflict between brothers through the interaction of three elements: kettle, fermented grains and beans. Kettle symbolizes power and status, glutinous rice represents Cao Zhi himself, and beans symbolize other brothers. Burning glutinous rice under the kettle means the oppression and torture suffered by Cao Zhi himself; Bean cried in the kettle, expressing the sufferings of other brothers in the power struggle.
The last two sentences are "born from the same root, why speculate with each other!" Reveals the root of the contradiction between brothers. The poet pointed out that brothers are born from the same root and should work together to overcome the difficulties. However, the reality is that brothers shirk each other and kill each other. The poet appealed to his brothers to live in harmony and cherish their family ties.
The whole "Seven Steps Poetry" takes cooking beans as the main line, and through the interaction between beans, it shows the disputes between brothers. The poet expressed his desire to live in harmony and his deep feelings about the conflicts between brothers. This poem not only reveals the cruelty of the real society, but also expresses the poet's yearning for affection and harmony.
In Cao Zhi's life, he suffered from power disputes and witnessed the fighting between brothers. This seven-step poem is not only a portrayal of social phenomena at that time, but also a lament for one's own destiny.
The poet symbolizes his own experience with the image of beans and beans, expressing his pursuit of a better life and his desire for harmony between brothers. However, the reality is always cruel, and the poet's good wishes can't be realized after all.